Daycare Question

Today I had my first interview for daycare - it was an in home day care.It went really well overall, but I have a question for anyone that has reserved a spot in daycare previously or is currently.

I am due Feb 1st. The provider I met with today currently has an opening for a 2 year old; however, if we sign a contract with her she will hold a spot for our baby; however, she then asks that we pay 50% of what she could get if she did take a 2 year old now which over the next 8 months before we need daycare it would cost us a little over $2600. She explained it that she is "loosing" the income if she doesn't take a 2 year old now and holds the spot for us. I am just a bit alarmed by this . . . anyone else have experiences?

Today I had my first interview for daycare - it was an in home day care.It went really well overall, but I have a question for anyone that has reserved a spot in daycare previously or is currently.

I am due Feb 1st. The provider I met with today currently has an opening for a 2 year old; however, if we sign a contract with her she will hold a spot for our baby; however, she then asks that we pay 50% of what she could get if she did take a 2 year old now which over the next 8 months before we need daycare it would cost us a little over $2600. She explained it that she is "loosing" the income if she doesn't take a 2 year old now and holds the spot for us. I am just a bit alarmed by this . . . anyone else have experiences?

WOW!!! That is a lot of money for a service that you will not be taking advantage of for 8 months. (I know, duh, or you wouldn't be asking.)

Unfortunately I think this is pretty standard practice, paying to hold a slot at a daycare, that is determined by the provider. Because, like she said she is losing out on money she could be making taking another child who is already here and ready for care.

When I first found a daycare for Jacob (my youngest until this one) his provider asked that I pay $100 to hold his slot for a month. It was non refundable, but she did take it off of my first month's childcare. I have childcare assistance, but she also asked that I pay the first month in full until the assistance kicked in. Don't get me wrong she was totally worth it, but I was stretched thin that month.

A friend of mine who has an in home daycare said that some of her clients are planning pregnancies around when other kids age out and she will have a slot open. It seems that childcare is very lucrative, at least here in Juneau.

I haven't even started looking yet, mostly because I am unsure of when I will be ready to go back to work, but I fully expect to pay something to hold a slot.

Good Luck!!

WOW!!! That is a lot of money for a service that you will not be taking advantage of for 8 months. (I know, duh, or you wouldn't be asking.)

Unfortunately I think this is pretty standard practice, paying to hold a slot at a daycare, that is determined by the provider. Because, like she said she is losing out on money she could be making taking another child who is already here and ready for care.

When I first found a daycare for Jacob (my youngest until this one) his provider asked that I pay $100 to hold his slot for a month. It was non refundable, but she did take it off of my first month's childcare. I have childcare assistance, but she also asked that I pay the first month in full until the assistance kicked in. Don't get me wrong she was totally worth it, but I was stretched thin that month.

A friend of mine who has an in home daycare said that some of her clients are planning pregnancies around when other kids age out and she will have a slot open. It seems that childcare is very lucrative, at least here in Juneau.

I haven't even started looking yet, mostly because I am unsure of when I will be ready to go back to work, but I fully expect to pay something to hold a slot.

Well if I were you unless you live in an area where there are not too many daycares...or this day care is significantly less money than others I would not be doing that at all! I understand her point of view, but I don't think it's worth it for you. Maybe you should wait until you are closer to giving birth. (I assume you will have 12 weeks maternity leave)

Well if I were you unless you live in an area where there are not too many daycares...or this day care is significantly less money than others I would not be doing that at all! I understand her point of view, but I don't think it's worth it for you. Maybe you should wait until you are closer to giving birth. (I assume you will have 12 weeks maternity leave)

I used to do daycare and I charged to hold a spot, however with that said where I live there is alot of providers. As a parent I would never pay to hold a spot (at least not in my area) there is to many providers to choose from. My advice to you is when you do put your little one in childcare that you do surprise visits at different times a day to check on your little one. When I 1st put my daughter in daycare (she is now 13) I used to do this and you will be very surprised what you might see. Your child is the most important so don't ever be afraid about telling a provider if you don't like something. Good luck with your search :)

I used to do daycare and I charged to hold a spot, however with that said where I live there is alot of providers. As a parent I would never pay to hold a spot (at least not in my area) there is to many providers to choose from. My advice to you is when you do put your little one in childcare that you do surprise visits at different times a day to check on your little one. When I 1st put my daughter in daycare (she is now 13) I used to do this and you will be very surprised what you might see. Your child is the most important so don't ever be afraid about telling a provider if you don't like something. Good luck with your search :)

this is common!!! we were told the same thing and not only would have to pay 50% we had to pay a deposit! it wasnt cheap either!! all i can say is good luck we have gone through 2 home daycares and 1 facility. we honestly had the best care for our son in the facility! it was a more controlled environment than the home care. the home daycares would take the older siblings on during school holidays and would exceed their licenses!! it was very frustrating! Oh and another big thing every time our son was sick no matter if it was home daycare or facility he was sent home and we needed to pay even though he wasnt allowed! now i would never send my son to daycare sick but he would spike fevers when he was teething and sometimes get very soft stools. Not diarrhea and it was never more than once or twice a day! it was very frustrating especially since my husband was deployed and that was the main reason we needed daycare or i would have never used it!!! so good luck and i wish you the best since i personally HATE daycare and never want to use it again which is why i am moving home to be with family for this birth!

this is common!!! we were told the same thing and not only would have to pay 50% we had to pay a deposit! it wasnt cheap either!! all i can say is good luck we have gone through 2 home daycares and 1 facility. we honestly had the best care for our son in the facility! it was a more controlled environment than the home care. the home daycares would take the older siblings on during school holidays and would exceed their licenses!! it was very frustrating! Oh and another big thing every time our son was sick no matter if it was home daycare or facility he was sent home and we needed to pay even though he wasnt allowed! now i would never send my son to daycare sick but he would spike fevers when he was teething and sometimes get very soft stools. Not diarrhea and it was never more than once or twice a day! it was very frustrating especially since my husband was deployed and that was the main reason we needed daycare or i would have never used it!!! so good luck and i wish you the best since i personally HATE daycare and never want to use it again which is why i am moving home to be with family for this birth!

Woah, I think that is crazy. I see her point, but what if a spot for a newborn opens up? Do you get refunded...doubt it. In my area, the daycare's ask for a deposit to hold the spot, but it goes towards the tuition when the baby actually attends.

I don't think it is a bad thing to have your baby in daycare like the previous poster said. I think they give your child the ability to build strong social skills. We didn't end up putting Jackson into daycare, but not because we didn't like it. We found an in-home Nanny that was about the same amount of money, that for now, works better for us.

The daycare's near us have odd hours...some only are opened until 5pm I found one that was opened until 6pm. Problem is, if you are late they charge you a dollar a minute. I work in downtown Boston. It is difficult to gauge if I would make that time or not. And my work is flexible so I am able to work from home 2 days a week.

If I were you I would keep looking around. Good luck!

Woah, I think that is crazy. I see her point, but what if a spot for a newborn opens up? Do you get refunded...doubt it. In my area, the daycare's ask for a deposit to hold the spot, but it goes towards the tuition when the baby actually attends.

I don't think it is a bad thing to have your baby in daycare like the previous poster said. I think they give your child the ability to build strong social skills. We didn't end up putting Jackson into daycare, but not because we didn't like it. We found an in-home Nanny that was about the same amount of money, that for now, works better for us.

The daycare's near us have odd hours...some only are opened until 5pm I found one that was opened until 6pm. Problem is, if you are late they charge you a dollar a minute. I work in downtown Boston. It is difficult to gauge if I would make that time or not. And my work is flexible so I am able to work from home 2 days a week.

I had Lily in 2 different day cares and now on my 2nd home care(only because the 1st stopped watching kids :-( ) Unless this is the goddess of child care, I would not pay the fee- that is absurd! I have found that there are a lot more spots open now because of lay offs and a lot of moms are taking in kids to compensate for lost income. I had a terrible experience with both daycare facilities and do not recommend them to anyone for infants- they may be better for older children but I found that infants just do not get the care. But enough of my rant- I would wait until after your bundle of joy comes. Baby may come early or late, you may decided to stay home longer or less amount of time.

I had Lily in 2 different day cares and now on my 2nd home care(only because the 1st stopped watching kids :-( ) Unless this is the goddess of child care, I would not pay the fee- that is absurd! I have found that there are a lot more spots open now because of lay offs and a lot of moms are taking in kids to compensate for lost income. I had a terrible experience with both daycare facilities and do not recommend them to anyone for infants- they may be better for older children but I found that infants just do not get the care. But enough of my rant- I would wait until after your bundle of joy comes. Baby may come early or late, you may decided to stay home longer or less amount of time.

I would not pay this soon. What if she quits keeping kids? I don't mean that she plans on quitting but nobody knows the future and with it being a home daycare if something happens she might have to quit for awhile.

I would not pay this soon. What if she quits keeping kids? I don't mean that she plans on quitting but nobody knows the future and with it being a home daycare if something happens she might have to quit for awhile.

Yes, unfortunately, she can ask for this, but you do not have to agree to it. My suggestion would be to give the spot up and ask to be placed on a waiting list. You can always have her call you back when the NEXT spot opens up so you won't be paying for it all this time. Maybe it will cut back some of the time you will be paying for serviced that you are not really receiving.

Also, contact your local family services office and see what list of daycares they can provide for you. They can also give you an idea of how long waiting lists are in your area, so you know when it will be necessary to start paying.

Good Luck.

Yes, unfortunately, she can ask for this, but you do not have to agree to it. My suggestion would be to give the spot up and ask to be placed on a waiting list. You can always have her call you back when the NEXT spot opens up so you won't be paying for it all this time. Maybe it will cut back some of the time you will be paying for serviced that you are not really receiving.

Also, contact your local family services office and see what list of daycares they can provide for you. They can also give you an idea of how long waiting lists are in your area, so you know when it will be necessary to start paying.

Colleen - How did you find your nanny? I know there are socialization benefits to daycare, but at least for the first six months I can work from home, so prefer to have the baby at home with me (even if someone else is watching him) to help with breastfeeding and spend as much time with him as I can. I was surprised to find that, at least near me, there's not that big a price difference between a nanny and group child care, especially now that the economy is bad and there are so many people looking for work.

I'm a total novice at this, so looking for advice on how to find a nanny. There are LOTS of ads hear me for available nannies, but I don't even know what questions to ask to find someone qualified. Also, when do I need to start interviewing? Should I just wait until the baby is born (I can take as long as 12 weeks from work, but would like to start back at least part time before then)? Or is this like the daycare situation where I'll need to "reserve" someone?

Thanks in advance! Sorry so many questions!

Colleen - How did you find your nanny? I know there are socialization benefits to daycare, but at least for the first six months I can work from home, so prefer to have the baby at home with me (even if someone else is watching him) to help with breastfeeding and spend as much time with him as I can. I was surprised to find that, at least near me, there's not that big a price difference between a nanny and group child care, especially now that the economy is bad and there are so many people looking for work.

I'm a total novice at this, so looking for advice on how to find a nanny. There are LOTS of ads hear me for available nannies, but I don't even know what questions to ask to find someone qualified. Also, when do I need to start interviewing? Should I just wait until the baby is born (I can take as long as 12 weeks from work, but would like to start back at least part time before then)? Or is this like the daycare situation where I'll need to "reserve" someone?

That sounds very strange to me.....You are only able to have so many infants and so many toddlers, so if she has no room for your baby in Jan/Feb, but then takes a toddler spot, she will be "over" in her infant room. I wouldn't do it. I would wait. Maybe she will have a spot come available for your baby by the time you deliver or you might find a better place.

That sounds very strange to me.....You are only able to have so many infants and so many toddlers, so if she has no room for your baby in Jan/Feb, but then takes a toddler spot, she will be "over" in her infant room. I wouldn't do it. I would wait. Maybe she will have a spot come available for your baby by the time you deliver or you might find a better place.

I actually use to run an in home daycare. I had a mother that came to me and she was only 8 weeks along. She loved my home and what she saw of my care of the kiddos. She wanted to sign a contract with me immediately. As a daycare provider, business owner, and a working woman who still has bills to pay, I had to take that into consideration as well. Anyone that wanted me to "hold" a spot for their child was requested to pay 50% of what I would make by taking another child into that spot. Considering I only charged $150 a week for infants, it came to $300 a month for this mother. She was also shocked by it. I can understand your questioning and frustration, however, the daycare provider still has a business/household to run and support. If she holds a spot for you, then think of the potential income she would be losing out on...especially if for some reason, you up and decided that you didn't want to use her. The reservation fee was not just to make up for lost income for holding the spot, but to ensure that I wasn't holding a spot and losing out on income for someone that was going to back out last minute. Then all that time I could have gone ahead and taken another. I had a waiting list that was almost a page and a half long from referrals. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for those on my waiting list, I only lost 3 kids out of my daycare during the 2 years I had it. 1 was from a move, 1 was from a lay-off and dad couldn't afford daycare anymore, and 1 because he grew up and went off to school. My advice to you, if you feel in your heart that you can trust this person with your child, is it worth knowing that she is still available when your child is in need of her care? It seems like alot, but that is a fair price considering where waiting until last minute could leave you...possibly with a caregiver that's not so caring.....

I actually use to run an in home daycare. I had a mother that came to me and she was only 8 weeks along. She loved my home and what she saw of my care of the kiddos. She wanted to sign a contract with me immediately. As a daycare provider, business owner, and a working woman who still has bills to pay, I had to take that into consideration as well. Anyone that wanted me to "hold" a spot for their child was requested to pay 50% of what I would make by taking another child into that spot. Considering I only charged $150 a week for infants, it came to $300 a month for this mother. She was also shocked by it. I can understand your questioning and frustration, however, the daycare provider still has a business/household to run and support. If she holds a spot for you, then think of the potential income she would be losing out on...especially if for some reason, you up and decided that you didn't want to use her. The reservation fee was not just to make up for lost income for holding the spot, but to ensure that I wasn't holding a spot and losing out on income for someone that was going to back out last minute. Then all that time I could have gone ahead and taken another. I had a waiting list that was almost a page and a half long from referrals. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for those on my waiting list, I only lost 3 kids out of my daycare during the 2 years I had it. 1 was from a move, 1 was from a lay-off and dad couldn't afford daycare anymore, and 1 because he grew up and went off to school. My advice to you, if you feel in your heart that you can trust this person with your child, is it worth knowing that she is still available when your child is in need of her care? It seems like alot, but that is a fair price considering where waiting until last minute could leave you...possibly with a caregiver that's not so caring.....

You are in Peabody - and I am in Melrose. This is our first child - and we are very overwhelmed as to how to find child care. I would love to pick your brain on this topic. Someone recently recommended to me that I consider a PT "nanny" - even noting that a lot of stay-at-home moms may be interested in doing it for some extra family income. I feel at a loss as to how to find someone, though. . .

My MIL offered to watch baby one day / week - I'm not thrilled w/ this idea (since I'm not thrilled by my MIL in general) but free is free . . .and I am self-employed, so I can control my schedule to some extent (I'm a lawyer with a home office). I'm thinking maybe we could do two days a week with someone, and one day with MIL . . .no idea how to figure out what a reasonable rate is for the paid person, though (or, again, how to find them).

If I had any electronic savvy whatsoever, I would ask if we could e-mail privately (if you don't mind), but short of giving you my e-mail address in this post, I have no idea how to make that happen . . .

Christie

Colleen -

You are in Peabody - and I am in Melrose. This is our first child - and we are very overwhelmed as to how to find child care. I would love to pick your brain on this topic. Someone recently recommended to me that I consider a PT "nanny" - even noting that a lot of stay-at-home moms may be interested in doing it for some extra family income. I feel at a loss as to how to find someone, though. . .

My MIL offered to watch baby one day / week - I'm not thrilled w/ this idea (since I'm not thrilled by my MIL in general) but free is free . . .and I am self-employed, so I can control my schedule to some extent (I'm a lawyer with a home office). I'm thinking maybe we could do two days a week with someone, and one day with MIL . . .no idea how to figure out what a reasonable rate is for the paid person, though (or, again, how to find them).

If I had any electronic savvy whatsoever, I would ask if we could e-mail privately (if you don't mind), but short of giving you my e-mail address in this post, I have no idea how to make that happen . . .

I'm not sure what it is where you are, but being a former childcare provider, the going rate for a PT nanny in these parts is $25-50 per day depending on the age of the child and any "extra care" needed (ie: for health problems, diet, etc). Some daycares will still charge a full time rate for part time care. Look on your state's childcare licensing website. I know Texas has a list of certified/licensed child care providers (both in home and daycare centers). You may want to see if your state does too.

I'm not sure what it is where you are, but being a former childcare provider, the going rate for a PT nanny in these parts is $25-50 per day depending on the age of the child and any "extra care" needed (ie: for health problems, diet, etc). Some daycares will still charge a full time rate for part time care. Look on your state's childcare licensing website. I know Texas has a list of certified/licensed child care providers (both in home and daycare centers). You may want to see if your state does too.

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